Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik Promises MSRTC Turnaround Within 2 Years

Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has vowed to bring the financially struggling Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) back on the path to profitability within two years. Speaking to reporters late Wednesday night, Sarnaik expressed strong confidence in his plans to revamp the state-owned transport body, which has been incurring mounting losses for decades.

“Within the next two years, I will surely turn around the MSRTC and bring it to profit,” Sarnaik said, emphasizing his commitment to reforms and accountability. “The MSRTC and the transport department were neglected in the past, but since I’ve taken charge, we’ve introduced radical positive changes in their functioning,” he added.

Accumulated losses of the MSRTC surged to Rs 10,324 crore in 2023-24 from Rs 4,603 crore in 2018-19 and the state-owned body clocked profit only in eight fiscal years in the last 45 years, according to a ‘white paper’ released by the corporation in late June. Founded in 1948, MSRTC operates the largest bus fleet in India, with over 15,000 buses and daily ridership exceeding 55 lakh commuters.

MSRTC, often referred to as the lifeline of Maharashtra, plays a crucial role in connecting over 90 percent of the state’s villages to their respective district headquarters. It also links rural areas with urban centers, including major cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Solapur, and Kolhapur.

Sarnaik, an MLA from Thane, also addressed the severe traffic congestion issues affecting the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway, particularly in Thane and Palghar districts. He attributed the traffic snarls to the movement of heavy vehicles servicing numerous godowns in Bhiwandi. “More than a dozen trucks are loaded and unloaded daily in Bhiwandi godowns. This has significantly affected traffic in and around Thane,” he said.

The highway witnessed a massive jam earlier this week, with over 500 students and commuters stranded for nearly 12 hours.

On a separate note, Sarnaik announced a welfare initiative in celebration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday. He is distributing 75,000 Diwali kits—including food grains, oil, and other festive essentials—to families in his Ovla-Majiwada constituency. “We’ve already distributed around 21,000 kits,” he informed.

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